Game apparatus.



H. MITCHELL.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1911.

1,012,891, v Patented Dec.26, 1911.

I I \t I I v \X \Q rinrTnn STATES PATENT orrron.

HARRY MITCHELL, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following, taken inconnection with the drawing, is a description.

My invention has for its object the production of a game apparatus designed to embody the principal features of the well known game of base ball; it shall be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, and the manipulation of the same can be readily understood by any one; at the same time it will be sufficiently diflicult of operation to require skilful manipulation and concentration to make a home run In the drawings I have illustrated what I now consider to be the best embodiment of my construction although the size, proportions and minor details of the same may be carried out in various ways without depart ing from the spirit of the invention, and in these drawings- Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same taken on line 2-2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of one corner of the apparatus, taken on line 33.

In carrying out my invention I provide a frame comprising the bottom plate A which has a quadrilateral depression A therein extending over the greater part of the surface thereofi A is a center plate of the same outer dimensions as the plate A and is secured thereto in any desired manner. This plate A has arranged upon its upper surface a quadrilateral path a, simulating the well known base ball square or diamond.

61- represents the infield. surface, which in this instance is depressed below the top of the plate A At three of the inner corners of this infield space are shoulders a, a", a arranged to form retaining means for the ball A, as hereinafter explained.

A depression B represents the home plate and is formed in the plate A near the home base, the raised point 5 in the plate serving as a guide in starting the ball A on the proper course at the beginning, and to return it to the home base at the end of the run.

In the quadrilateral path a are the corners C, C, C representing respectively Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed June 16, 1911. Serial No. 633,491.

first, second and third bases, the first base C having a sharper corner or turn than the others for the purpose of lessening the mo mentum acquired by the ball in the run from the home base to first. v

Disposed at irregular intervals from first to second base are a series of holes or pockets c, c, 0 Extending from second to third base, and at irregular intervals are the holes or pockets 0 0 0 0 being closer together than the holes from first to second base, presenting greater difficulties for the ball to overcome the farther it progresses, and from third base to home are the holes or pockets 0 c 0, 0 0. These holes or pockets 0 to 0 are each partially surrounded by an angular guard D. The holes or pockets 0 to 0 extend through the plate A so that when the ball drops into one of them it falls through into the receptacle A, where by tilting the frame the ball may be rolled to home base and passed up through the opening B at the home base and into the path a ready for another run.

Upon the raised surface a of the plate A in close proximity to the second, third and home bases, are the switches e, e, 6 respectively. These switches are formed of any material suitable for the purpose, preferably wire, bent to form two arms extending at right angles to each other and pivotally secured at approximately the center thereof to the plate A in such position that the free arm thereof may be projected into the path of the ball A*. Near each of the shoulders a" is a small slot or groove 2', 2", 1' into which projects the'downwardly bent end of the arms a, n, n of the switches. These slots or grooves limit the movement of the switches as hereinafter explained.

A transparent cover E, of glass, mica, celluloid, or other suitable material slides in a groove formed upon the under side of the top plate or frame E, and is arranged to vallow easy travel of the balls under the in the corner nearest to it in the infield.

The ball A will easily make the run to first base by tilting the frame of the apparatus to incline in that direction, and then inclining it to direct the ball toward second base passing the pockets 0, c, 0 During this time the ball A in the infield is traveling toward the switch at second base, and unless the ball A is traveling faster than ball A the ball A will have reached the switch at second base just ahead of ball A at the pocket 0 in which case ball A will have struck the arm n of the switch and pushed it back at the same time pushing the free arm 6 into the path of ball A*, thereby deflecting it into the pocket 0 which puts the ball into the receptacle A and the game has to be started again. The grooves z, z", i in each instance limits the movement of the switch so that the free arm of each switch is moved just far enough into the path of the ball A to turn it from its course and into the nearest pocket. ll hen the ball A succeeds in passing first base it encounters greater difficulties with each successive base, the ball A in the infield has a tendency to arrive at the switch before ball A reaches each base unless great care is exercised in properly balancing the apparatus, as ball A arriving at the switch first will turn it and put ball A in the hole. In order to complete the game the ball A is required to make a complete circuit of the path a from B, the point of beginning, to B, the finish. If the ball falls into any of the pockets the game has to be begun again.

The game holds the attention because of its similarity to the difficulties of the regular game of base ball, the runners difficulties increasing as he arrives at each successive base. To get to first base is easy, the second is somewhat harder, to third harder still, and to home hardest of all, just as a player finds himself in the game. The switches are light enough to be pushed aside by the ball A in the infield, which ball requires as much skilful manipulation as does ballA making the run.

In playing the game the score may be 1 to 1 ending at the ninth inning.

I claim 1. A game apparatus comprising a frame I having a plate provided with a quadrilateral pathway and an infield upon the upper face thereof and having a receptacle beneath the plate, pockets arranged at irregu- 1 lar intervals along said path and at each side thereof, two balls, one of which travels in the path and the other in the infield, and switches projecting in the aforesaid path and adapted to be operated by the infield ball, substantially as described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board having a quadrilateral pathway and an infield upon the upper, face thereof and a receptacle beneath the same, pockets opening into said receptacle and arranged at intervals upon each side of the path, two balls, one traveling in the infield and one in the path, switches secured near the corners of the infield, one arm of each switch projecting into the infield and the other arm projecting into the quadrilateral pathway, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board having a depressed quadrilateral pathway and a depressed infield upon the upper face thereof, and a receptacle beneath said infield, pockets arranged at irregular intervals along the sides of the path, switches pivotally secured to the board in proximity to the corners of the infield, one arm of each switch adapted to be projected across the path near one of the pockets, a ball traveling in the path and a ball traveling in the infield, shoulders projecting from the wall of the infield to retard the movement of the infield ball, the aforesaid switches being operated by the infield ball striking. against them to retard the movement of the ball traveling in the path, substantially as described.

4:. In a game apparatus comprising a board having a quadrilateral pathway depressed therein and terminating in a depression forming a goal, an infield depressed in said board, a ball traveling in said infield and a ball traveling in said path, shoulders projecting into said infield afiording retarding means for the infield ball, pockets arranged at different distances apart along the path, automatically operated switches pivotally secured to the upper face of said board between the infield and the path and affording retarding means for the ball traveling in the path, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY MITCHELL. Witnesses A. V. WELDoN, WELLS GooDHUn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

